Morning journal and courier., 1887-10-17

| Hall on Thursday, October 90 1887, at p M to
vote an appropTa1n from d the town treasury OF
IS 500 for building graded school house on land
lately designated as site for school buildings by
the Fourth school district
EXPERTS IN WASHINGTON LIFE.
Professional ChaperoRs who Coach
Newcomers in the Ways of the Cap
ftaI.
[Froln the Philadelphia Telegraph
/ don't know Just what to call her. She
belongs peculiarly to Washington and is
born of the necessities of the place. She
is several-or rather there several of her.
If you are lady and happen to be elected to
Washington society through having your
husband chosen to sit in the legislative
halls or to hold other place of honor
under the Federal government you may
find her useful. She teaches how to en-
terrain, and clears away the thorns from
your path on your entrance to Washington
society.
The wives and daughters of new Con-
gressmen and officials are frequently thrown
into society without previous preparation.
From the quiet of country home this is q
terrible transition. There are ladies here in
Washington whose husbands have been
army or navy officers. They have spent
years in society, and have held and still
hold high rank. The mysteries of form and
| usage are familiar to them, but the death or
retirement of their husbands have reduced
their finances below the figures of their
extravagant tastes. These ladies now sus-
| tain their position in society by leading the
uninitiated through the mysterious mazes.
They teach the wives of new Senators and
| members from the back districts the polite
forms, and pilot them safely through Il
winter in Washington. The relation they
hold to the novice is that of superior,
who condescends to take the part of friend
" adviser or chaperon. They are courted,
| followed-and paid! They are women who
have been bellies in society in the past, and
| who dictate its forms now. They now
| make business of pleasure. They advise
their patrons what to wear, how to furnish
| their house, how to talk and act. how to set
| their tables, how to receive callers and whom
to receive; when to call, how to call, and
| whom to call on. They tell them the differ
| ence between an ordinary tea and high tea;
| between dinner party and luncheon
| They rub the dust off their dialect and teach
| them polite forms of speech, and tell them
what to talk about They lead them around
| the circle and teach by example. These
| chaperons are not known such except to
those who employ them, and they are the
most courted of all society. They are ex-
perts in Washington life.
In the morning, when they are not cir
| cling the rounds of society, they act the
! part of private conversationalists. There are
always a number of wealthy ladies who, on
| account of not yet knowing the ways of
| society, or of i'll health, or perhaps because
| they are in mourning, are not in the social
| swim.
Az conversationalists these queens and
| factotums of society bring all the gossip and
| goings on in society in a morning call upon
/ those wealthy victims of seclusion. They
tell them who held receptions last night and
! who was there; what they wore, what they
| said, and what they said, and latest private
| scandal; tell what different people think of
each other, and how each is measured up by
the whole of society. They report how long
| Mr.--talked with Miss Millions, and re-
discuss the engagements made, to be made,
and broken off. All the little bits of gossip,
small talk and scandal they carry with
exact memory as to all the interesting
details, and keep their secluded patrons as
well posted as if they were among the
most gay. They tighten up a melancholy
| morning. -.
Some of the most fashionable women who
have long been the LEADERS" of society earn
in this way the means to keep up their eetab
lishment and to maintain themselves in fash
ionable luxury. The wives and daughters of
some famous men now dead are profes-
sional leaders of society, and live by their
profession.
How to overcome the Dangers OF Expo
1 sure.
Francis O'Reilly, the well known livery
man of No. IS Prince street, New York, says
of Allcock's Porous Plasters
'For the last forty-two years have. been
engaged in the livery and hacking business.
I am greatly aided by my four boys. We
are much exposed to the weather and we
have found Allcock's Plasters of very great
service. We use them as chest protectors,
placing one on the chest and one on the pit
of the stomach. They not only ward off the
cold, but act as tonic.
4 tEIxLe IRA franna,,flu affAnfad with rhanr,na.